


The Red Cherry Bakery

by theauthenticme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Altnernative universe, Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, Cheryl owns a bakery, F/F, I love baked goods, I need Choni to fill the hiatus, Red Cherry Bakery, Riverdale, Slow Burn, choni, choni is endgame, slow burn Choni
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-07-31 19:03:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20120128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthenticme/pseuds/theauthenticme
Summary: Cheryl finds her life heading in a new direction after she meets Toni, the owner of a new store from down the street. Choni is and will always be endgame!





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything like this before so thanks for joining me for the ride! 
> 
> I have been pretty obsessed with the new season of the baking show 'Sugar Rush' on Netflix so decided to combine two of my favorite things into one fic: Choni and baking.

Cheryl loved her bakery. It wasn't the career anyone thought she would end up taking on, but for the rare few who truly knew her, it was no secret that she had always loved baking.

She hadn't been sure what to call her bakery, but she had always loved red and all things cherry related, so calling it the 'Red Cherry Bakery' seemed a simple, yet fitting name.

The pastel pink sign hung unassumingly outside, proudly display the name of her bakery in beautiful lettering, her signature cherries beside it. Some colorful flowers adorned the pretty window boxes that always attracted positive attention from passers by.

Cheryl Blossom never did anything by halves, and hER bakery was no exception. Inside the bakery, the shiny floors were spotless, the large bakery counter filled with the most beautiful treats and cupcakes.

She had quickly built up a name for herself, people coming from far and wide to try her home made confections.

she loved designing new cakes and treats for her customers to try, her chief taste tester offering her seal of approval before anything was allowed to go on sale. 

....

"So this is the famous Red Cherry Bakery that everyone keeps telling me I must check out.." Cheryl turned at the unfamiliar voice and smiled as she did to greet all her customers. 

She was greeted with the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, a few inches shorter than her, pale pink streaks through her hair, a leather jacket over her tank top and denim shorts.

"Uhh..they..they do?" the usual confidence that filled her voice was gone, instead replaced by a foolish stutter that had her cheeks blushing red in embarrassment.

"It's all I've heard about" she grinned, the gravelly texture to her voice filling Cheryl's chest with a flutter she was not used to. "I heard the owner was pretty hot too.." she flirted, winking at Cheryl. "She around?"

"Oh um...uhh..n..no...I.. I mean... I'm the owner.." she blushed a deeper shade of red as she stumbled over her words.

"I figured red.." she chuckled again. "I highly doubted there could be two smoking hot redhead's working at the same bakery."

"Oh right..a joke..of course.." she laughed nervously, regaining some of her composure. "So uh..what can I get you?"

"I hear your cherry scones are to die for" she mused, looking at the array of baked goods on offer. "But I'll take anything you recommend, I have rather a sweet tooth.."

Cheryl tried to focus on the woman's words, but was instead captivated by her looks. She really was _flawless_. Her gaze lingered on the woman before her, it taking her brain several long seconds before she was able to focus on the task in hand.

She quickly filled a powder blue box with a selection of treats, showing them to the woman for approval before she closed the lid and handed the box over. "Our selection boxes work out at $15 a box.."

"Keep the change" she laid a $20 bill on the counter, flashing Cheryl a bright smile as she left, the bell over the door ringing out as she disappeared down the street.

"Thank you. See you soon.." she shoved the $20 into the cash register, blinking a few times at the exchange that had just taken place.

She wondered if she would ever see the beautiful woman again. Regrettably, she hadn't even found out her name.

The ping of an alarm stirred her from her thoughts, Cheryl rushing out back to pull her freshly baked cherry tarts from the oven.

The delicious smell of the smoldering cherries hit her nostrils pleasantly as she smiled to herself with a small nod.

_Yes, today was going to be a good day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to know what you thought! 
> 
> This story is going to have some twists and turns and may not be as clear cut as it first appears to be! 
> 
> I have a few options in my head as to what sort of store Toni has (my first thought was potentially a tattoo parlour) but would love to read your suggestions, so please leave them in the comments below.
> 
> You can follow me and come chat to me on twitter at: theauthenticme2


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the positive feedback about this.
> 
> The story is only really just getting started but I hope you stick along for the ride 🙂

Barely 24 hours had passed when Cheryl saw the beautiful stranger in her shop again.

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon" she smiled shyly, the customer she had just served leaving the shop.

"Guess I liked what was on offer" she replied flirtily, a smirk on her face.

"Oh uh..you liked the selection I picked out for you?"

"Those too" she shrugged with a wink.

Cheryl found herself blushing again, her gaze lingering on the floor as she waited for the heat to leave her cheeks.

"I don't think I caught your name before. I'm Toni" she held out her hand over the counter.

"Cheryl" she wiped her hand on her apron before she extended it. "Nice to meet you Toni.." Toni's warm hand fit easily in her own, Cheryl feeling a tingle up her spine as she pulled away quickly. "Hope I didn't get any frosting on you."

"We're good" she affirmed, holding up her frosting-free hand for Cheryl to see.

"What can I get for you today?"

"I loved those little pastries with the custard and cherries.." she scanned the cabinet until she found them, her manicured nail tapping the glass excitedly when she found them. "Can I get four of those please."

"They are _very_ popular" Cheryl agreed with a grin, opening a box to place them in.

"Can I get you anything else? We also do a selection of hot drinks, or cold if you prefer.." she signalled to the large refrigerator behind Toni, full of cold drinks.

"I'm good" she smiled with the slight shake of her head. "I'm really all about the desserts."

"Fair enough" she grinned, eyeing Toni's very slim figure. She either worked out or had an amazing metabolism to remain so slight.

"Like what you see?" Toni winked, seeing Cheryl looking her over.

Cheryl blushed profusely, averting her gaze as she bit her lip, a small grin appearing on her lips.

"So uh..you new around here?" Cheryl changed the subject quickly, busying herself with putting some freshly baked items onto the display. "I don't think I've seen you before...well apart from yesterday of course!"

"Uhuh. I just bought the store over there.." she pointed to a doubled fronted store down the street.

"Ooh the big one on the corner? I heard it had been sold but nobody seemed to know anymore."

"Yep, that's the one"

"What are you planning to do with the space?" Cheryl was intrigued.

"I'm a photographer. Part of it will by my gallery and the rest will be my new photography studio. It's being renovated right now so we won't be open for a while yet."

Cheryl listened as Toni continued to talk, something about her voice drawing Cheryl in. Her eyes were drawn to the way Toni's lips moved. _Oh how she wished she could be closer to those lips, feel them against hers..._

"Cheryl?" A gentle hand on her arm brought her out of her revere. "Kinda lost you for a bit there. Are you okay?"

Cheryl blinked a few times, trying to remember what Toni had been saying. "Yep..." she nodded a few times, giving Toni a bright smile. "So uh, how long do you think the renovations might take?"

"I'd like it all done within 6 weeks, although at this stage it's hard to tell if that was too optimistic or not. I'm overseeing things as much as I can, but it's a little messy in there right now.."

"I can imagine" Cheryl scrunched her nose up. Dust and dirt were _not_ her thing. "You can always come hang out here. Even if you just want somewhere quiet to do some paperwork.." she signalled to the tables and chairs. "You are welcome here anytime, it's not like I haven't got the space."

"Thank you Cheryl" Toni grinned, paying for her food and picking up the box. "I might just take you up on that.."

\---

Over the weeks that followed, Toni's visits to The Red Cherry Bakery got more and more frequent.

At first it had just been for some pastries and her morning coffee. Then she had started popping back in the afternoons for another coffee, even though they both knew it was simply an excuse for them to spend more time together.

The more she visited, the more her and Cheryl chatted and got to know each other. The more that happened, the longer Toni wanted to stay.

It was almost a month after they first met that Toni started bringing her laptop into the bakery, taking Cheryl up on her earlier offer.

The renovations in her new studio were taking longer than planned due to some structural damage that needed repairing and she had photos she needed to edit for clients, as well as emails to respond to.

Toni picked the table in the corner of the bakery, one that was rarely ever occupied by customers and it quickly became her new unofficial office space.

Cheryl would bring her little treats or samples of things she was designing as Toni worked, often peering over her shoulder to comment on the beautiful photos Toni was working on.

\---

It was fair to say that Toni didn't know much about Cheryl's personal life outside of the bakery. They had talked a lot about themselves, their likes and dislikes, favorite food etc. She had even talked a little about a few friends that she seemed to see fairly frequently and wanted to introduce Toni to, but apart from that, Cheryl didn't mention anything of note about her personal life.

Toni didn't know if that was simply because there was nothing to tell, or because Cheryl didn't feel comfortable in sharing it with her. Either was okay with Toni, she would never push anyone to talk about something that they didn't want to share, everyone had their own story to tell if and when they chose to.

It was for that reason that Toni was so intrigued by the mysterious phone call Cheryl received one afternoon, a couple of months after they had become friends.

Cheryl had been fairly relaxed when she received the phone call, but Toni noticed that she quickly tensed as she heading out back to continue the phone call away from the customers. Toni served a couple of customers in Cheryl's absence, hoping she was okay.

When Cheryl returned, Toni could tell immediately that someone was wrong.

"Cheryl?" She approached her carefully, delicate fingers running along her forearm gently. "Is everything okay?"

Cheryl seemed caught in a worried trance, looking anxiously over at the door. "I uh..I have to go."

"Right now?" Toni was confused.

Cheryl nodded again, flipping the door sign to closed and frantically trying to tidy away.

"Hey..hey.." Toni stilled her briefly, her hands clasping gently ontop of Cheryl's. "What's going on?"

"My niece. I have to go..go get her.."

"Okay.." Toni tried to follow. "From school? Is she sick?" Cheryl had never mentioned a niece before.

Cheryl shook her head. "She's uh..she's at the police station.."

Toni wondered if she was a teenager who had got herself into some trouble. "Has she been arrested?"

"No! She's a little kid" Cheryl sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Ohh.." Toni still wasn't sure what has happened, but didn't want to push Cheryl. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Would.." she started, then trailed off, shaking her head. _That was a stupid suggestion._

"Would I what?" Toni stepped closer to her. "It's okay..ask me.."

"Would you come with me?" She bit her lip anxiously, tears welling in her eyes.

"Of course.." Toni answered quickly, giving Cheryl's hands a gentle squeeze. "Want me to drive us?"

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. We're friends. That's what friends do okay? They support eachother, no questions asked."

"Thank you" she sniffled, looking for her purse.

"Don't even mention it, you're welcome ..."

Cheryl and Toni headed out, Cheryl more than a little anxious about what awaited her at the police station.

Toni wanted to do all she could to support her friend. She's be lying if she said she wasn't a _little_ curious about what was going on, but all she wanted to do was make sure Cheryl was okay. And that was exactly what she was doing to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading chapter 2.
> 
> Let me know what you thought below. 😊
> 
> You can also find me on twitter at theauthenticme2 😁


	3. Chapter 3

"We are going to need to see some ID Mrs Blossom" the officer at the desk barely even lifted his eyes to look at Cheryl as he flicked through some papers on his desk.

Cheryl pulled out her drivers license with shaky hands and handed it over, not even bothering to correct the officer who called her Mrs. Toni stood a few feet away, watching her with anxious eyes. 

Once she had completed the necessary identification checks, she was directed to a small side room.

  
Much to Toni's surprise, Cheryl grabbed her hand to bring her along with her, not wanting to go alone. She did not one like second of being back inside a police station, the goosebumps rising on her skin and refusing to leave, no matter how hot she felt.

"You doing okay?" Toni asked quietly, sat beside Cheryl in the small interrogation room.

Cheryl nodded mutely, her head falling into her hand, although Toni could see she was struggling.

"It's okay, you're okay.." she spoke softly, her hand automatically coming to rest on the small of Cheryl's back, the soothing circles she rubbed into it having an instantly calming effect on the redhead.

Cheryl felt the tension start to leave her body, relaxing further into Toni's touch for a while before their moment of tranquility was broken by another uniformed officer.

He sat himself down heavily at the table, directly opposite Cheryl.

"I'm not sure how much you were told on the phone. The situation as it stands at the moment is this.."

They waited with baited breath, Toni's hand still but remaining on the small of Cheryl's back.

"Kate Moorhouse has been arrested on a variety of charges relating to drink and drugs while looking after a minor, amongst other things. While she is incarcerated, she is of course unable to care for her daughter. She'll be detained atleast overnight. After that, I don't know right now. If you're unable to take her child, we will arrange emergency foster care for her."

"No, no. Of course I'll take her, she's family! Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's been interviewed by our specially trained officers as evidence for the case and now she's with with our police therapy dog. If you don't mind waiting, I'll go get her.."

"Thank you.." Cheryl was stilll trying to take it all in, as Toni tried to connect the dots. Was Kate Cheryl's sister? The officer had called the little girl the mysterious Kate's daughter and referred to her as Cheryl's niece.

Silence hung in the air after the officer left the room, Toni's unspoken questions left answered.

...

"Aunty Cheryl.." a little voice suddenly filled the room, a small child barreling towards Cheryl and hugging her tightly.

"Evie" Cheryl hugged her back, lifting her into her lap, the love between the two of them clear.

Toni decided that the little girl could have been no more than 4, her dark hair and eyes making her look more like Toni's relation than Cheryl's.

The officer stood at the door, a small child's backpack in his hands. "You ladies got a booster a seat for her? If not, we have some in the store room, I can go grab one for you.."

"Yes please" Toni gave him a small smile. She guessed the officer thought her and Cheryl were a couple, and she had to admit she kinda liked that.

"The policeman said mommy can't look after me right now cos she has to help them with the estigation.." Evie mumbled into Cheryl's neck.

Cheryl grinned at the cute way Evie spoke, not feeling it necessary to correct her, instead wanting to focus on making sure she was okay. "Uhuh, that's right, so I'm going to look after you for a bit okay?"

Evie nodded, hugging Cheryl again tightly around the neck. "I missed you a lot.."

"I missed you too bug" she kissed her forehead as she stood up, Evie clinging tightly to her, her legs wrapped around Cheryl's waist.

"This is my friend Toni. She's going to give us a ride okay?"

Evie lifted her head from where it was buried into Cheryl's neck to look at Toni. "Are you one of the police ladies?" she asked skeptically. "You don't have police clothes on."

Toni shook her head with a laugh. "I'm not a police lady cutie. I'm a friend of your aunt Cheryl's."

"Oh okay" she shrugged, offering Toni a small smile. "Can we go home now then?" she rested her head on Cheryl's shoulder. "Please?"

"Of course.." Cheryl promised, placing a gentle kiss to Evie's head. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

....

To Cheryl's surprise, Evie was fast asleep by 7pm and her and Toni had managed to enjoy their take out without the interruptions Cheryl thought would have been inevitable considering how events had unfolded throughout the day.

Although Cheryl and Toni spend a lot  
of time together at the bakery, it was rare for them to do so outside of that. Come to think of it, Cheryl didn't even know where Toni's apartment was.

It wasn't until Cheryl finally sat down and relaxed after they'd eaten that she finally had time to process the unexpected turn her day had taken.

She loved spending extra time with Toni, and having Toni sat next to her on the couch felt strangely domestic and _nice_. Cheryl couldn't remember the last time she'd done this with anyone and she liked it. _A lot_.

She was very aware how lucky she was to call Toni her friend. She had been by her side all day, no questions asked.

Cheryl hadn't had chance to tell her anything and if she was honest, she was dreading it.

She was pretty sure as soon as Toni heard everything, she'd be up and out of there within seconds and that was something Cheryl wanted to avoid.

"You okay?" Toni asked softly, the way her hand gripped Cheryl's thigh bringing her back to reality. "I kinda lost you for a bit there.."

"Sorry Toni" her hands moved to cover her face as she sighed loudly. "I expect you're wondering what the hell has been going on. Sorry I haven't told you.."

"Hey..no need for any of that.." she found her hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "Tell me what you want to share. If that's not anything right now, that's okay too. There's no rush.."

Cheryl did not deserve someone as lovely and as understanding as Toni.

"Thank you Toni.." she mumbled, tears welling in her eyes that she willed not to fall. "I guess I better start at the beginning.."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading chapter 3. I am having a lot of fun writing this, I hope you are enjoying reading it. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought below. 😊
> 
> You can also find me on twitter at theauthenticme2 😁
> 
> Feel free to ask anything on curiouscat (link on my twitter page theauthenticme2).


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheryl and Toni grow closer as they talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 4! I am attempting to post this from a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean so fingers crossed it works!!

Toni's hand moved unconsciously across Cheryl's thigh in a comforting gesture as Cheryl tried to figure out where to begin.

"I guess I should start with how Evie and I are related.." Cheryl tried to focus on what to say, and not the way Toni's hand on her thigh was making her feel. _No_, now was not the time to be thinking about anything like _that_. 

Toni waited patiently, letting Cheryl gather her thoughts

"So Evie is my niece..as I'm sure you figured already" she laughed lightly. "She's the daughter of my twin brother Jason and his ex..Kate..."

Cheryl had never mentioned she had a brother before. Toni wondered if they didn't get along.

"You have a brother?"

"_Had_.." Cheryl sighed, her lip wobbling as tears welled in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Cheryl. You don't have to tell me if it's too painful for you.."

"No..no. It's okay.."

"Take your time okay? I'm right here.."

Cheryl nodded, trying to focus on keeping herself together. Now was not the time to break down, even though she felt close to it.

My brother..he uh..he died...when Evie was younger.. and uh..Kate...she's not exactly the maternal type.."

Toni wondered exactly what Cheryl meant but didn't think it was appropriate to interrupt or ask questions.

"She hasn't let me see Evie for almost 5 months. I guess it's because she was spiraling and knew I'd be angry if I saw Evie in that environment.."

"I can tell you love Evie very much. And she adores you too.."

"I do, she's family. She's the last piece of Jason I have left..even though the only hint of him in her is her eyes.."

"To lose your twin must have been the most awful experience.."

"You don't know the half of it.." she muttered before she could stop herself. "Sorry.." she clamped a hand over her mouth. "I didn't mean that..ignore me.."

"Like I said..tell me whatever you feel comfortable in sharing...it doesn't have to be tonight.." Toni's calming voice soothed the anxiety she could feel building in her chest. Part of Cheryl wished she had Toni's hands on her back again. Even with all the stress at the police station, it had calmed and relaxed her in a way she had never experienced before.

"Thank you.." Cheryl's shoulders began to shake, her hands quickly flying up to cover her embarrassed face.

Toni pulled her into a hug without even thinking, hating to see Cheryl distressed. She could see Cheryl's defenses quickly going back up when she pulled away and wiped ferociously at her cheeks.

"Sorry..I didn't mean to lose control like that.." she clenched her hand into a fist, her manicured nails digging roughly into the palm of her hand.

Noticing the action, Toni stroked Cheryl's wrist before she wordlessly unclenched her hand, slipping hers into Cheryl's and gripping it gently. "It's okay to cry. It's okay to _lose control_." There had to be more to this than Cheryl was saying.

"Cheryl?" Toni hummed softly. "Do you do that a lot?"

"What?" Cheryl asked.

"Your hand.." Toni nodded towards it, opening Cheryl's clasped palm.

Cheryl's face flushed crimson as she looked anywhere but Toni. "Uh..no..didn't even realize I'd done it.." she hoped Toni would drop it at that.

"You haven't drawn blood atleast.." Toni inspected the indents, holding Cheryl's hand in her own, the fingers on her other hand tracing lightly over the marks. She wasn't sure if the marks were from today or old scars from an ingrained habit.

"Thank you.." Cheryl whispered, holding back the new tears that welled in her eyes.

"For what?" Toni asked gently, both her hands clasped around Cheryl's.

"Caring.." she offered Toni a small smile through her tears.

Toni reached up, cupping Cheryl's cheek as she used her thumb to wipe Cheryl's tears. "Of course...there's no need to thank me for that sweetie. Not now, not ever.."

Cheryl closed her eyes for a second, relishing the feel of Toni's hand on her cheek. "It just..it means a lot to me...it's been a long time since anyone did something like that for me."

"Everyone deserves to feel cared for. And from now on you will, because you have me okay?"

"Thank you.." Cheryl smiled. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel alone. And that meant more to her that she could put into words. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on twitter at: theauthenticme2
> 
> Feel free to ask anything on curiouscat (link on my twitter page theauthenticme2).
> 
> I love to read your comments and thoughts so leave them below! ♥️
> 
> If there's anything you'd like to happen on this story, feel free to leave that in a comment too!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 5 🙂 And before you ask, no this chapter is not sponsored or in any way affiliated with Build-a-Bear! 😂

Cheryl didn't end up telling Toni anything else that evening.

She had wanted to, but she was so exhausted and emotionally drained, she had fallen asleep with her head against Toni's shoulder before she could say any more.

Toni didn't move, enjoying the way the subtle scent of cherries settled in her nostrils as Cheryl slept peacefully against her. She turned the TV on quietly and flicked through the channels before she settled on some random dating show that made her grin.

Cheryl woke in the early hours, a little disorientated at first when she found herself on the couch with Toni.

"Wha..where?"

"You fell asleep on the couch" Toni's gravelly voice croaked. "I didn't want to move you, you looked exhausted."

"You're too kind, thank you Toni.." Cheryl still couldn't get her head around the fact she had a friend as amazing as Toni.

"I'm sorry you've been stuck here all this time.."

"It's no problem at all. I watched about 5 episodes of 'The Bachelor' in one go.." Toni assured her with a grin. "I'm just glad you got some sleep. You needed it after the afternoon you've had.."

"You must be tired too.." Cheryl hated that she had kept Toni from doing whatever she had planned with her evening.

"I don't live far, it won't take me long at all to get home.." she gathered up her things to head out. "Call me if you need anything. I'll speak to you tomorrow.." she pulled Cheryl into an easy hug, the gesture feeling like the most natural thing in the world.

Cheryl hugged her back, relishing the feeling of Toni's warm arms wrapped around her tall frame. "Thanks again for everything today.." she placed a soft kiss to Toni's cheek, secretly wishing it was more than that. Maybe one day it would be..but for now..she was just happy she got to call Toni her friend.

.....

"Where'd Toni go?" Evie enquired with a pout the next morning when she wandered into the kitchen in one of Cheryl's oversized shirts. "I liked her, she had a kind face."

"She had to go home to her own apartment honey. I'm sure we'll see her again soon though."

"Oh" Evie looked disappointed. "Is she one of your special friends like mommy has? Mommy has lots. They don't live with us, they just come visit for a playdate in her room and then leave soon after. I don't like it cos I have to stay in my room by myself and I get scared.." her thumb found its way to her mouth and her anxious eyes welled with tears.

Cheryl felt her stomach roll at what Evie was possibly suggesting, the adorable little girl stood beside her thankfully blissfully unaware of the seriousness of what she was telling her aunt.

"Well.." Cheryl drawled, lifting Evie up onto the counter top and kissing the top of her head, "your aunt Cheryl doesn't have lots of special friends that come round for playdates like your mommy, so you don't have to worry about that while you're here okay?"

"Do I have to go home today? I..I like it here with you.." she hadn't even been with Cheryl 24 hours and she was already feeling more secure and safe than she had with her mom in a long time.

"I'm not sure right now sweetie, I'll speak to the policeman later and see how that investigation is coming along okay?"

Evie nodded, feeling her tummy rumble.  
"What would you like me to make you for breakfast?" Cheryl offered, also hearing the noise.

"I don't have to make it myself?"

"Do you usually have to make it yourself?" Cheryl countered, wondering what sort of life Evie had been living with Kate since she'd last seen her.

"Normally. Mommy is usually sleeping or um..busy.." her thumb was back in her mouth again, Cheryl noticing she seemed to use it as a way to comfort herself.

"Well while you're with me, you have me to do that for you" Cheryl smiled. "So what's it to be? Pancakes? Waffles? Cereal?"

"I can have pancakes? For _breakfast_?" she asked excitedly.

"Yep! If that's what you'd like?"

"Yes please.." Evie grinned excitedly from where she was sat. "I haven't had pancakes in sooo long.."

Cheryl felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She should have tried harder to see Evie when Kate had cut all contact. It wasn't like she hadn't tried, but kate had changed her number and moved to a new apartment and Cheryl simply didn't know how to contact her. Sometime the last 24 hours had reminded her was that she going to make sure she stayed a part of Evie's life, no matter what.  
...

Once Evie was happily eating her pancakes, Cheryl rung to check the bakery had been opened up successfully in her absence, before ringing the police station to find out what was going on with Kate.

She felt a strange sense of relief to hear that Kate was being detained until her trial, meaning she would be given temporary custody of Evie until her case went to court.

She felt an overwhelming urge to tell Toni about it, sending her a text but instantly regretting it. Cheryl was worried that Toni would feel it was too much after all the time Toni had given up for her yesterday.

Although apparently Cheryl and Evie were not far from Toni's mind either.  
....

Toni had debated what to do with her morning, not wanting to go to the bakery as she usually would if Cheryl would not be there.

Now Toni knew that Evie was going to be sticking around for a while, she decided to take a trip to _Build -a-Bear_ and buy a something for a stuffed animal that Evie didn't even own yet.

She wanted to give it to Evie and then take both her and Cheryl to the store so Evie could pick out the animal herself. She knew it corny and her friends would tease her endlessly if they knew, but in that moment, she couldn't find it in herself to care what they thought, even the smallest bit.

Once she had picked out the perfect accessory, she had it put nicely into a gift bag for her to carry proudly to Cheryl's apartment.

She also picked up a couple of coffees on her way over, her many mornings at the bakery meaning she knew Cheryl's order off by heart.

When she finally made it to Cheryl's apartment, she was looking forward to seeing Evie's face when she handed over her gift.

"Picked up your favorite.." Toni grinned when a surprised looking Cheryl opened the door.

"Toni, hey! This is a nice surprise, I wasn't expecting to see you today.." If it wasn't for the coffees in her Toni's hand, Cheryl would have thrown her arms around her and hugged her.

"What can I say? I'm full of surprises me" she chuckled, handing Cheryl her coffee.

"TONI!!" Evie was so excited to see her, running up to her and throwing her arms around her legs. "I didn't know you were going to come back.."

Both Cheryl and Toni exchanged a brief look, finding Evie's comment somewhat strange.

"Of course I was. I'm a friend of your aunt Cheryl's, I see her all the time!"

"Oh. I never see mommy's friends like that. They come one time but they don't come back.." she trailed off, her thumb once again finding its way to her mouth.

"Well you're just going to have to get used to seeing me cutie" she teased, heading over to the couch. "I got you a little something, would you like to see?"

"For me? Like a gift?" She seemed excited, but looked quickly to Cheryl before she moved. "Can I?" Cheryl could see she wanted to, but something was holding her back.

"Of course...come on.." she took Evie's hand, leading her over to the couch and pulling her into her lap beside Toni.

Toni handed the gift bag over. "So..I got this..but I think there's a problem.." she teased.

Evie pulled out the small outfit. "Is it for me? I think I'm too big for it" she decided seriously.

"Nu-uh. It's from Build-a-Bear. You can put it on a stuffed animal. Do you have anything like that?"

Evie shook her head.

"So maybe we should go to the store and you could pick one out?"

"To keep? For me?"

"Uhuh. What do you think?"

"Can we really?"

"I think that could be arranged" Cheryl tickled her sides where she held her. "And maybe we could go pick out some clothes for you too since it seems like you're going to be staying here a bit longer."

"I get to stay?" her features lit up with a grin.

"Uhuh. It seems the police need your mommy's help a bit longer so they've asked if you can stay with me. I said I'd be delighted to have you."

"What's delighted mean?"

"It means I'm really happy to have you living here with me for a while."

Evie thought about for a little while. "Well then... I'm delighted to be here too." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading chapter 5!
> 
> I love to chat to you! You can follow me on twitter at: theauthenticme2 or feel free to ask anything on curiouscat (link on my twitter page theauthenticme2).
> 
> I love to read your comments and thoughts so leave them below! ♥️


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW in this chapter for some small mentions of possible self harm.

Evie was so excited to go and choose her new toy, she skipped happily ahead of Cheryl and Toni when the store came into view.

"Hey.." Cheryl's pale fingers gripped Toni's gently as they walked alongside one another. "Thank you so much for doing this, it's so kind of you.." she gave Toni's hand a gentle squeeze, their hands fitting easily together as they walked.

"No need to thank me" Toni gave her a soft smile. "I wanted to do it..and to see that smile on her face and that beautiful one on yours makes it so worth it.."

"It's so nice to see her happy" Cheryl agreed. "I think she's been missing a lot of happiness from her life and while she's with me I just want to make sure she's happy and carefree like a child should be, even if it's only for a little while.."

"You're already doing that for her.." Toni reassured her. "Every second she's with you, you're giving her that."

"It's all just so unknown right now. From what they said on the phone, she'll be with me atleast a few months. Hopefully longer.."

"What if it was longer than that? If the arrangement was more..permanent?"

Cheryl hadn't even dared to let herself imagine this as a possibility, her eyes welling with tears at the mere thought. "I'd honestly love that..I'm just not sure if it will be possible or not.."

"I think that could depend on a lot of factors. Possibly even things you don't know about that have been going on behind the scenes. No point worrying about it now...you're enjoying the time you know you have together and that's what counts.." she calmed her easily.

"You're right.." Cheryl have Toni's hand a squeeze of thanks as they caught up with Evie and neared the store.

...

It took Evie ages to choose which animal she wanted, eventually settling on a unicorn with a rainbow colored mane and tail. After she had helped to add a heart, make a wish and help the assistant fill it, she took her time choosing some more clothes and accessories to go with it.

"Did you hide anything that I gotta find?" she asked Cheryl and Toni, the unicorn tucked firmly under her arm.

"Did we what?" Cheryl asked, the clear confusion evident on her face.

"You know. The _game_.." it seemed simple to Evie.

"Uhh, I don't think we're playing any game right now Evie" Toni wasn't sure what had made Evie think they were.

"So there's nothing you hid I have to find?" Evie checked, scanning the store.

"Nothing at all.." Cheryl promised. "But if you're all done we can go check out."

"My treat remember.." Toni reminded Cheryl, following Evie to the cash register.

"Evie and I are very grateful."

...

"Was it just me, or did that whole hiding game thing at the store earlier seem really out of place to you?"

Cheryl was thinking things over as her and Toni sat on a bench at the park, watching Evie play close by.

"I was thinking exactly the same. I mean, if just came out of no where, but she was talking like we knew what she meant.."

"Something to keep in mind..." Toni agreed, looking over at Evie as she played on the slide.

"Jason used to love the slide.." Cheryl mused, her eyes unfocused a she watched Evie play. "When we were kids, we had a nanny who always used to take us to the park. Not that we were allowed to tell our mother. I made that mistake once.." she shuddered at the memory. "Mother dearest didn't approve of the park, she said it was a waste of our time."

Toni saw the way Cheryl's voice and expression changed as soon as she mentioned her mother. "You and your mom don't get along huh?"

"Something like that.." she muttered darkly, her fingernails digging into the palm of her hand, just as they had yesterday. 

Noticing the harmful action, Toni let her fingers stoke gently over the back of Cheryl's hand. "You'll hurt yourself.." she prized Cheryl's fingers away carefully.

"Last time.. you said that you didn't know you were doing it, but I'm not sure that's quite true is it?"

Cheryl was surprised by Toni's tone..it wasn't accusatory or threatening...she sounded _concerned_, which Cheryl was just not used to. Nobody ever felt that way about her.

"It's just a bad habit, we all have them.."

Toni could tell she was getting defensive. "We do..everyone has bad habits. But not all bad habits need to be so..harmful.."

"Right.."

"I just don't want to see you getting hurt.."

"I'm not..honestly..see? Barely even a mark" she showed her hand to Toni. She couldn't explain it to Toni, she wouldn't understand. Cheryl didn't even really think about it, it was just something she _did_. 

Toni traced her finger over the small indents in the pale skin. "You've done it twice in two days" she pointed out gently. "Talking about your family..about your _mom_ triggers something in you doesn't it?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore" the expression on Cheryl's face darkened. She pulled her hand out of Toni's quickly.

"Cheryl.." Toni stopped her, grasping her arm gently. "Just because something is painful or triggering, it doesn't mean it's something you can't or shouldn't talk about-"

"I don't have anything I need to talk about and this isn't some amateur therapy session Toni.." she stood up. "I uh...I should really get going.." she headed over to where Evie was playing before Toni even had a chance to reply. "Evie? Come on honey, we have to go now. Say thank you to Toni for buying you the unicorn."

"We are going already?" Evie looked disappointed. "Thank you Toni" she flung her arms around Toni's legs when she caught up with them.

  
"I'm sorry if I pushed too far Cheryl. Of course you don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with."

"It's fine" 

"Thank you for my unicorn, I love it. Do we have to go?" Evie's bottom lip jutted out into a pout as it wobbled.

"We'll come back another time soon okay?" Cheryl picked the little girl up and positioned her on her hip. "Thanks again Toni..I'll...I'll see you soon."

Toni watched them hurry away, wondering what Cheryl was so afraid to talking about. She wasn't sure, but one thing she was certain of...she was determined to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading chapter 6 and sticking with me on this little journey. If you're wondering what Evie was talking about when she mentioned a 'game', all will be revealed over the next few chapters! 
> 
> I love to chat to you! Come chat to me on twitter at: theauthenticme2 
> 
> I love to read your comments and thoughts so leave them below! Please also feel free to leave constructive criticism and feedback if you feel there is something I could improve. As a writer, I am always trying to improve my skills and your feedback helps with that! 😊


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It is totally Choni centric! I'm sure I'm not the only one who's felt a very large Choni shaped hole in their lives recently. Can't wait for season 4 to be back!
> 
> While we wait, I hope this goes some, small way to filling it!
> 
> TW for mentions of an unhappy relationship and sex.

It had been more than a week since Toni had spoken to Cheryl. She had tried to contact her, but had heard very little back beyond a few words in brief texts. And even that had tailed off after the first few days. It was then that Toni had decided to give Cheryl some space.

On the 12th day, Toni couldn't stand the radio silence any longer, bypassing her studio on the way to work to head straight to Cheryl's bakery.

Cheryl was busy serving a couple of customers, Toni joining the line to order her favorite morning pick-me-up.

"Toni.." Cheryl breathed, an embarrassed hue growing quickly on her cheeks. "I'm sorry.."

"It should be me apologizing to you" Toni jumped in. "I'm so sorry I pushed you the other week..I didn't mean to upset you.." her gravelly tone washed over Cheryl like it had the very first day she heard it, invading her senses and making her feel something she couldn't even begin to put into words.

"I overreacted. Talking about my family isn't easy for me and sometimes I just..I guess I just close down. I don't feel like a very nice person when I associate myself with my family."

"I get it, it's how you cope with everything.." Toni reassured her. "I really am sorry though..I hate that I upset you and I understand why you didn't respond to my messages."

"I'm sorry..I did mean to, but it's not been an easy week with Evie. You have no idea how many times I wanted to text or call but I just..couldn't bring myself to do it. I thought you'd be mad at me after the way I left last time and I couldn't bare to feel rejected or ignored.." she had felt enough of that in her life to know the deep ache it left in her heart.

Toni saw the genuine sorrow in her eyes as she listened to Cheryl speak. "I would have responded" she reassured her. "You said it's been a hard week with Evie..is everything okay?"

Cheryl nodded. "She's started going to pre-school a few times a week...just to get her used to being around other children and used to socializing. She always cries when I drop her off but her teachers assure me she's fine once I go."

"I think going to pre-school will be good for her...and you."

"Right" Cheryl gave Toni a sad smile.

"What time do you have to collect her?"

Cheryl looked at the large clock on the wall. "Not for hours yet..why?"

"What do you say you close up a little early later and we go grab some food. Talk some more... I've missed you.." Toni had _really_ missed Cheryl.

"I missed you too. We've spend the last few months seeing each other almost everyday and then to go from that to not speaking for over a week has been ... lonely.." it had felt worse than lonely for Cheryl but she didn't want to dump all  
her emotional baggage on Toni _again_.

The more they chatted, the easier they fell back into their old routine, both women relaxed and happy in eachother's company.

Cheryl continued to serve customers all morning with her usual cheeriness as they chatted. They were mid conversation at lunchtime when Cheryl froze, her eyes apparently fixed on the door.

"Everything okay?" Toni asked, unsure why the arrival of a potential new customer peering through the window of the currently empty bakery had caused Cheryl's face to drain of all its color.

Cheryl forced a smile onto her face and nodded stiffly at Toni.

"Are you sure?" Toni stepped right up to the counter to get a better look at Cheryl.

The bell ringing as he entered the shop startled Cheryl, her attention ripped away from Toni.

Toni guessed he was a similar age to them, his brown hair had a slight curl to it and his dark blue suit making him look like he should be chairing a board meeting at that very moment.

Toni stood back, concerned by the way Cheryl stiffened in his presence. Cheryl's usual cheeriness was clearly absent, her forced smile evident as she served him briskly.

Toni knew immediately that she did not like the man stood beside the counter, something about his demeanor and smug smile making Toni's skin crawl.

"Keep the change.." he handed over a $50 bill all too casually, taking the small box Cheryl handed to him and making his exit.

As soon as he had left, Toni turned her attention back to Cheryl, the tremble in the redhead's limbs still present as she gripped the counter.

"Cher? Who was he?" she asked quietly.

"No..no-one..he wasn't anyone.." her voice wobbled as she tried to hold herself together.

Toni was immediately at Cheryl's side, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze that had Cheryl flinching in a way Toni had never seen before.

"You don't seem okay.." Toni's couldn't hide the concern in her voice as she observed Cheryl with a frown.

"Toni.." she whispered, a hint of pleading in her voice. She couldn't talk about this right now, she _couldn't_. Not when she has customers to serve and a bakery to keep open all day. Not to mention Evie to collect from pre-school.

"How can I help?" she wanted desperately to help her friend however she could.

Cheryl closed her eyes, shaking her head as she tried to center herself. "It's fine. _I'm_ fine.." anyone who knew Cheryl even the smallest bit could see how far from the truth that was.

"Let me help...please.."

"I..I.." Cheryl didn't know what to say, tears welling in her eyes. "The bakery.."

"How about for now...you close up? Come back to mine for a bit before you have to collect Evie hmm?"

"I can't.." she had never done that before. What if she lost customers?

"Yes you can..look.." Toni walked quickly to the door and flipped the sign to closed and turned the lock. "See? Simple as that.."

Cheryl looked a little stunned, but didn't protest as she made sure all the sliding doors on the bakery cabinets were firmly shut, ensuring her creations stayed fresh.

It didn't take long for her to lock up and before she knew it, she found herself sat in Toni's apartment, a hot cup of tea in her still trembling hands.

"You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to.." Toni started, sitting beside a tense Cheryl. "But if you want to..you can okay?" she hated how affected Cheryl had been by his brief visit, knowing whoever he was, it couldn't mean anything good.

Cheryl took a sip of her tea, the hot liquid trickling down her throat offering her a brief distraction from the erratic thoughts rushing through her mind.

"Ha..have you ever...not enjoyed sex?" Cheryl asked after a period of silence, her voice barely more than a whisper as she placed her cup of tea onto the coffee table in front of her.

Toni wasn't expected the question, it seemingly coming out of nowhere, her head snapping up to look at Cheryl in surprise.

"Not enjoyed it how exactly?" she clarified, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach as she observed Cheryl.

Cheryl shrugged, her teeth biting her lip so hard she drew blood.

"Uh..well I guess there have been times when the sex hasn't been _good_. Some people just seem to have no awareness of how to give a woman a decent orgasm."

"Right..right.."

"What about you?" she probed gently, fearing the answer but _needing_ to ask.

"I uh..the same I guess... sex can't always be good right?"

Toni had a feeling that when Cheryl talked about it, she wasn't referring to anyone's lack of ability to get her off. There was pain behind her words that Toni hated to see.

"If sex isn't something you want in that moment, isn't something you're enjoying., you stop. You have the right to say no whenever you want to, _with_ whoever you want to.." Toni trailed off.

Cheryl felt herself trembling a little as she tried to hold back a sob, burying her face in her hands.

"Cheryl.." Toni's warm fingers curled around her wrists, gently tugging her hands away from her face as she guided Cheryl into her arms, Cheryl sobbing harshly against her chest.

"It's okay..you're okay.." Toni doubted very much that Cheryl was but she wanted to calm her down from the current panicked state she was working herself into.

"Breathe with me okay? Try and match my breathing.." she made deliberate effort to calm her own breathing pattern, hoping Cheryl would be able to copy her.

Cheryl tried to focus on Toni's breathing, her face against Toni's chest as she cried. She hadn't meant to..she had been doing okay. But then he was right _there_ and she just crumbled.

It took about 10 minutes for Cheryl to calm her breathing completely, her head was now laid in Toni's lap as Toni ran her fingers delicately over Cheryl's scalp and through her hair.

"That man in the bakery..." Toni started carefully. "You froze as soon as you saw him."

"Hmm?" Cheryl's eyes were closed, her tense frame relaxing against Toni's touch.

"He scares you.." her words hung in the air, Cheryl saying nothing, although Toni could feel the way she stiffened beside her. "What I'm trying to figure out is _why_.."

"He's my ex.." Cheryl breathed finally, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "Our relationship..if you could even call it that, wasn't so great.."

"I guessed as much" Toni hummed, hoping Cheryl would continue to talk.

"It was a long time ago. My parents wanted us to be together. My mother used to say it was good for me and would rid me of my _deviant_ ways."

"Your what? Your parents said you were deviant?"

"Being gay was not acceptable in the Blossom household" Cheryl confided, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. "And they sure let me know how they felt about it."

"And before that?" Toni probed gently, acutely aware that if she pushed too hard Cheryl may flee again, which was something she wanted to avoid.

"Before they knew I was gay?"

Toni nodded. "I get the feeling that from the brief mentions you've given me about your family, your childhood wasn't the happiest one.."

"This is starting to sound suspiciously like an amateur therapy session Toni.."

Toni shook her head. "Just one caring friend talking to another. And I know you're deflecting by the way.." she pointed out with a raised brow.

"My parents didn't make things easy no. Let's just say...I wasn't their favorite child and leave at that for now.." Toni could tell Cheryl was closing the conversation down, and that was okay if that's all she wanted to say. Toni sensed now wasn't the right time to push.

"What is his name? The guy from earlier.."

"Nick" Cheryl murmured, his name spilling out with distain.

"How long were you together?"

"You make it sound like we were happily dating. We weren't. We never were" she said darkly.

"Okay.." Toni's soft voice invaded her senses and made Cheryl feel instantly calmer. "What was it like?"

"Why do you even care? It's in the past.." Cheryl felt instantly guilty for snapping.

"It may be in the past, but it's still affecting you..." she pointed out, the gentle rhythm of her fingers still grazing across her scalp. "And don't pretend it's not because I can see right through you Cheryl Blossom."

Cheryl sighed, a couple of stray tears slipping silently down her cheeks.

"Have you talked to anyone about this before? Do your friends know why you and Nick were really together?"

"No.." she confessed. There was just something about Toni that had Cheryl revealing all her deepest, darkest secrets as if they were nothing to hide. "And I plan on keeping it that way."

"And as your friend, I completely respect that" Toni reassured her. "I won't say anything."  
  
"Thank you" Cheryl swallowed hard and closed her eyes again, the mix of emotions causing more tears to well in her eyes. She didn't even know why. Everything just like a lot to deal with right now.

"You're okay" Toni soothed. "Just try and relax for a bit.." she reached her free hand down and rubbed soothing circles on her back, the other hand still in her hair. "I've got you." She had more questions, but they'd have to wait.

With each passing second that Cheryl spend back in Toni's company, she came to the realization that having Toni in her life meant more to her that she had allowed herself to realize.

12 days was far,_far_ too long to spend out of her company. She made a promise to herself right there and then that she would make sure that never, ever happened again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments mean so much, please let me know what you thought. ♥️
> 
> Come follow me on twitter at: theauthenticme2


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Toni and Evie fluff because I love writing these two together!

"Soooo, since Cheryl has her meeting tonight...I was thinking..how about we go get some ice-cream?"

"Like from the deep-freeze?" Evie asked, looking up at Toni with knitted brows.

"We could, but I was thinking more..a trip out. To an ice-cream parlor!"

"What's that?"

"It's like a store that just sells ice-cream and desserts. Lots of different flavors and toppings for you to pick from!"

"Really?" Evie's eyes went wide.

"Yep! So what do you say?"

"Can rainbow come too?"

"Of course" Toni grinned, pleased with how much Evie still seemed to love the unicorn.

Evie raced off to grab the toy, tucking it safely under her arm as she declared she was ready.

"Rainbow's sad" she mumbled quietly as they headed out and made their way down the side walk.

"She is? Why is that?"

"She's never been to an ice-cream parlor before" she sighed quietly. "What if she doesn't know what to have? Or she's bad and we have to leave?"

Toni mulled over Evie's words as her old psychology studies from College started to come back to her. She remembered that children often put their own thoughts or feelings into a puppet or stuffed animal.

"It's okay if she doesn't know what to do, because _I_ do and I'll show her okay? And she doesn't need to worry about being bad. What bad thing might she do?"

Evie shrugged. "She might not play the game right.."

"What game sweetie?"

"You know..hide and go seek. If she has to find stuff and she doesn't get it, she'll get in trouble.."

"She won't have to find anything, no hiding or seeking.." Toni gave her hand a comforting squeeze, once again baffled by Evie's interesting choice of words. 

"Really?"

"Promise. So she doesn't need to worry as she's not going to be in trouble at all okay?"

"Okay" Evie's thumb found its way back to her mouth, but she didn't say anymore about it, Toni assuming she was satisfied with the answer.

It made Toni feel a myriad of emotions as she imagined what the hell Evie's little life had been like before coming to stay with Cheryl.

The longer that Evie spend with Cheryl, the more that seemed to come out...just little glimpses here and there, but they all fit together like a puzzle to reveal an upsetting and difficult home life.

It made Toni feel angry to think that whatever had gone on in Evie's past was so unhappy that it was still affecting her this much. She wanted her to be a happy, carefree little girl who didn't have to worry about being 'bad' or doing things right.

When they arrived, Evie's eyes were like saucers at the array of ice-creams and toppings on offer to her!

"Oo look Toni" she squealed, pointing through the glass. "There's so many different ones! Are they _all_ ice-cream flavors?" As far as Evie was concerned, ice-cream had only ever come in 3 flavors; vanilla, chocolate or strawberry.

"Can I have those pink things on my ice-cream?" She had been pointing to some strawberry crunch crystals – little did she know they were Cheryl's favourite too!

Toni knelt down to her level. "Do you know what?"

She shook her head, shrugging. "Today, you can choose whatever you want". A smile broke out across her face as she looked at Toni. "Really?"

"Really, really".

"What can I get for you ma'am?" the assistant asked behind the counter.

"I'll have the Holstein Sunset please" Toni pointed to a tub of strawberry ice cream with white, dark, and milk chocolate chunks. With whipped cream please" she added.

"And your daughter? What do you want cutie?" The assistant was already taking Evie's order before Toni could correct him.

Not that the assist could be blamed for thinking Evie was Toni's. They _did_ look similar. Evie's skin was a light tan color, with her long, dark hair also similar to Toni's.

"What does the pink one taste like?" she tapped the glass.

  
"Strawberry. We have numbers 1 through 6" the assistant said, pointing to the different varieties.

  
"What's that mean?" Evie whispered to Toni.

  
"it means there's lots of types. See? This one has strawberry bits, this one is in stripes. See that one there? With the strawberries an cherries in? That's Cheryl's favorite"

"Oo" Evie squealed. "If it's Cheryl's favorite, it must be real tasty. I want that one please. Number two" she said, looking at the assistant. "And can I have those sparkly pink things on?"

"The strawberry crunch crystals?" The assistant asked, scooping Evie's ice-cream into a tub for her.

Evie nodded. "And the rainbow sprinkles too please."

"Why don't you go pick us a table and I'll bring these over.." Toni suggested as she got her money out to pay.

"Anywhere?" Evie said, scanning the room and the wide range of tables to choose from.

"Anywhere you like. Completely up to you" she smiled.

"She looks so much like you" the assistant said, handing Toni her change.

"You think?" Toni chuckled, deciding she didn't feel much like getting into a discussion with the assistant about the ins and outs of her relationship to Evie. "Thanks."

She made her way over to the table Evie has picked for them and placed the large tub down in front of her.

"Let's take a picture for Cheryl before you eat your ice-cream" she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

She knew the amount of time Evie was with Cheryl was undetermined as of yet, and Toni was determined to make Evie a scrapbook of memories so that even if she ended up back with her mother, she would be able to remember the happy times she had had with Cheryl.

"Smile" she promoted, holding up her phone with a grin.

"Noo wait! Can't you be in it with me?" she asked, holding her hands up in front of the camera.

Toni couldn't hide the wide grin that spread across her face. She absolutely adored Evie and it was clear the feeling was mutual, Evie growing closer to Toni with everyday that passed. "How about one with just you and then one of us together."

Evie nodded at the compromise, a beam stretching across her face.

Toni knew this trip had been worthwhile. She was loving being able to give Evie some experiences of a normal childhood, and was enjoying getting to know the adorable tiny human that had captured her heart. She took the photos, their smiles huge, and neither of them could have felt happier in that moment if they'd tried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me on twitter at theauthenticme2 😁


	9. Chapter 9

  
"Here.." Toni pushed a bottle towards Cheryl, the liquid sloshing a bit as it moved along the table of their booth towards her. She took it hesitantly, eyeing the bottle carefully before her pale fingers gripped the glass and she pulled it closer.

"Thank you Toni.." she mumbled quietly, gripping the bottle tightly in her hand. Toni slipped into the booth opposite Cheryl and watched her with concern. Her brow was furrowed as she tried to work out exactly what was going through Cheryl's mind, conflicting emotions playing out on her face.

They sat in silence for a while, Cheryl fiddling with the cool bottle in her hands.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, finally looking up to meet Toni's somewhat concerned gaze.

"Of course, anything.." Toni leaned closer, taking a sip from her beer as she did so.

"At what point in your life did you realize you weren't a kid anymore? That you had actual responsibilities that meant you needed to be a proper adult and not just playing at it?"

If the question seemed random, Toni didn't say so as she thought carefully about her answer.

"I guess it was sort of a natural progression.. going to college, having to fend for myself..then building up my business, finally buying my own photo studio. No defining moment really. What about you?"

Cheryl sighed quietly to herself, her eyes heavy with an emotion Toni couldn't quite place. "I'm not sure. Part of feels like I'm still not doing things right. That I'm just some stupid teenager playing at being an adult."

"Cheryl.." Toni reached across the booth, her hand falling on top of Cheryl's to give it a comforting squeeze.

"It's stupid.." she wiped her eyes quickly, wanting to stem the tears before they set in and cascaded freely down her cheeks.

"It's not stupid.." she soothed, her gravelly voice bringing comfort to Cheryl. God, Cheryl had only been sat down with Toni for 5 minutes and already she was feeling happier and more relaxed, simply by being in Toni's presence. "I'm a good listener.." she offered, hoping it might encourage Cheryl to share what was weighing her down.

"I've no doubt you are Toni.." she sighed again, taking a hesitant sip from her beer. She pulled a face as she swallowed, but went in again for another sip.

"Beer not your thing red?" Toni chuckled, enjoying hers.

Cheryl shrugged. "I like beer as much as the next person, but I'm more of a wine drinker is all."

"Wine..dually noted" she smirked, deciding to order a bottle when she next went back to the bar.

"I've already burdened you with enough of my problems over the past few months. I just..I worry it getting it wrong with Evie. I barely had any parenting myself, so how can I be a good parent to her?"

"You're being an excellent parent to her Cher. Every time I see her she seems a little happier, a little less burdened by her troubled past. So even if you can't see it yourself, I promise you, you're doing a good job."

"Thank you. She loves you you know. She never stops talking about you or asking when she's going to see you next."

"What can I say? Everyone seems to feel that way about me" she chuckled. "Right?"

"If I agree I'll only be inflating your already enlarged ego" she chuckled. "So I am remaining silent on the subject."

"You don't need to say it for it to be true" she winked, pleased that her remark earned another chuckle from the redhead.

Cheryl sipped again on the beer Toni had given her, a silence falling over the pair.

"Do you think she's okay?" Cheryl worried.

"Veronica would have called if there was a problem. Your phone is on right?"

Cheryl nodded, checking her phone again. "Should I call? I'm gonna call.."

Toni reached across the table, her warm hand coming to rest gently on top of Cheryl's. "Send a text if you're worried. You're checking in without being over the top. If Evie is up and hears Veronica's phone, she might be worried something is up with _you_."

"Ohhh, I didn't think of it like that" she smiled gratefully at Toni, quickly sending a text to Veronica instead.

Once Cheryl had heard back that Evie was fine and ready asleep, she started to relax more, first the beer, then wine, then shots.

Toni was worried Cheryl was drinking _too_ much, but didn't want Cheryl to feel she was over stepping by telling her to slow down.

It was late into the night when Cheryl pulled Toni onto the dance floor, wrapping her arms around Toni as she danced with eachother. "You're hooooottt" Cheryl slurred, leaning close to Toni's ear. "You have no idea how much I wanna kiss you right now."

Toni was pretty drunk herself. "I want to kiss you too" she breathed, eyeing Cheryl's Ruby red lips. "Should we wait until we're not so drunk?" She checked.

"Nooooo, why wait? Life is too shooooort to wait" she slurred, her lips mere millimeters from Toni's. "Can I kiss you?" Cheryl checked.

Toni nodded, Cheryl immediately crashing their lips together in a hungry kiss. Cheryl's tongue was quickly demanding entrance into Toni's mouth, her hands sliding down Toni's back, tugging her closer.

It was like no-one else in the world existed besides them in the center of the dance floor, the world around them becoming a muffled blur as they continued to kiss passionately, the want had been building in both of them for weeks now.

When they finally pulled apart, Cheryl was panting, trying to get her breath back as she stared at Toni, pulling her to the bar where she ordered more drinks to take back to their table.

"Can we add two waters to that order please?" The bartender nodded, putting two large glasses on the tray.

Toni carried it back to their booth, Cheryl grabbing eagerly for the wine. "You have to make the most of things. Enjoy life while you can. JJ can't do that anymore, he'll never be able to do that again" her head dropped, tears welling in her eyes.

"Your brother Jason?" Toni checked, wanting to make sure she was following correctly.

Cheryl nodded. "He lost all that the night he.." she trailed off. "The night my father.." she gulped, unable to say anymore as she turned back to her wine.

"How about some water?" Toni pushed it towards her, starting to sober up.

"His life was taken from him. He has a partner, he had just had a _baby_" she was clearly upset. "What right did my father have to take that away from him?"

"Cheryl.." it broke Toni's heart to see Cheryl so upset. She moved round to her side of the booth, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close.

Cheryl sobbed into the crook of Toni's neck, her drinks forgotten on the table.

Once she had calmed down, Toni handed her the water, wanting to ask more but knowing now was not the time. "This will make you feel better.." Cheryl took the water and took a large sip. "This isn't wine. _Wine_ is what will make me feel better, not stupid water.." she tried to push it away, but Toni brought it right back. "You'll thank me in the morning.." Toni encouraged her to sip the water.

"I think we should probably be going soon. We need to relieve Veronica of her babysitting duties soon..."

Cheryl nodded, although it didn't appear she was really taking much in.

"Come on.." Toni held out her hand, Cheryl accepting it eagerly as they made their way out of the bar.

...

They got an uber back to Cheryl's apartment, Toni having sobered up even more. Cheryl spent most of the journey dozing against Toni's shoulder.

When they got home, Toni led them up Cheryl's apartment, letting them inside with Cheryl's key.

"How was your night ladies?" Veronica grinned at them from where she was dozing on the couch.

"I don't remember the last time I drunk so much" Cheryl flopped down next to Veronica. The effects were already starting to wear off and she didn't feel good. "I think I might.." she clamped her hand over her mouth and rushed to the bathroom.

"She drunk that much huh?"

"Oh yeah" Toni nodded. She got kinda sad about her brother, which only fuelled her need for more wine."

"She talked about Jason?" Veronica seemed very surprised.

"Does she not normally?" Toni checked.

"Never.."

"I'm not sure she'll even remember in the morning" Toni sighed. "She was so upset."

"I don't know if she ever dealt with it all properly to be honest"

"I think you might be right on that one." A short silence settled over the pair. "How was Evie?"

"She was okay. A little anxious and needed lots of reassurance that you and Cheryl were actually going to come back, but she slept eventually."

"I'm gonna go check on her and Cheryl. Thank you so much for tonight."

"You're welcome. Are you planning to stay over? If not, we could always share a cab?"

"I think I'm gonna sleep on the couch. Cheryl is in no state to deal with Evie if she wakes up, in not sure she can even take care of herself properly tonight."

"Okay, can you ask Cheryl to text me in the morning so I know she's okay?"

"Of course. See you soon." She saw Veronica out before she went to check on the two people she cared more and more for each day.

She wondered what the morning would bring when her and Cheryl would talk.

Would Cheryl even remember much of tonight? She wouldn't worry about it right now. Tonight had been good, and for right now, that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me on twitter at theauthenticme2 ♥️🎃


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Evie cuteness in this chapter. And when she starts to talk, you may be thinking a trigger warning is needed but as you read on, you'll see why there isn't one.

Evie was skipping happily along the busy street beside Cheryl, her hand clasped in her aunt's as they made their way to meet Toni for lunch. Cheryl and Toni had been officially dating for almost a month now, enjoying getting to know each other on a more personal level.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary that day as they walked, atleast not to Cheryl, which was why she found it strange when Evie's grip on her hand got considerably tighter. She stopped skipping, moving closer into Cheryl's side as she did so.

Cheryl looked down at Evie before she looked around. "You okay bug?" she checked, but Evie didn't say anything at first, her thumb simply finding its way back to her mouth. "Are we nearly there yet?"

"Almost..it's just round this corner.." Cheryl was still unsure what had bothered Evie so much. "Are you hurt? Do you want to stop?" she paused briefly.

"No! No.." she tugged on Cheryl's hand desperately. "I don't want to stop, I want to see Toni.."

"Okay.." Cheryl furrowed her brow in confusion, but kept walking, pleased when they rounded the corner and the restaurant came into view.

...

Cheryl kissed Toni softly as she stood up to greet them both, Evie giggling as the sight of them being affectionate.

"Does that mean Toni is your special friend now? My mommy used to have lots of special friends but they were all boys."

"I guess it kinda does" Cheryl grinned. "Although Toni is my only one."

"And I don't plan on sharing her with any other special friends" Toni grinned, her meaning completely lost on Evie.

Once inside and settled in the booth Toni had picked for them by the window, Evie seemed to relax a tiny bit, although she couldn't help anxiously staring out of the window every few seconds.

When the server came to take their order and Evie said she wasn't hungry, Cheryl grew more concerned. This place had quickly become Evie's favorite since she'd been with Cheryl and she'd been so excited all morning to visit for lunch.

"You're not? I thought you were looking forward to having that pasta you love?"

"No thank you.." she mumbled, her eyes still focused outside.

"Are you feeling sick?" Cheryl placed a hand to Evie's forehead. She _felt_ fine..

"No.."

Cheryl ordered the pasta for Evie anyway, hoping she'd change her mind once it arrived.

**Toni: She hasn't taken her eyes off the window. Nothing happened before you got here did it? **Toni shot a quick text to Cheryl, knowing they couldn't talk openly beside Evie.

**Cheryl: Um..I'm not sure. We were on our way here and then all of sudden, she just.. changed. She was gripping my hand tightly and seemed anxious, although I couldn't see any reason why.**

**Toni: Did she see something? Someone?**

**Cheryl: Not that I saw..but the the street was busy so it's possible.**

**Toni: I have an idea..roll with it. **Toni put her phone away.

"It's a little too bright here for me.." she pretended to squint at the sun. "Would you mind if we found a different table? Maybe one right over there away from the sun.." she pointed to the corner, grateful the restaurant wasn't busy.

"That's no problem..where do you want to move to?"

"Hmm..Toni pretended to scan the floor. Evie..can you choose a good table for us?"

Evie nodded quietly, climbing down from  
the booth and heading straight to the farthest table, tucked in the corner. She climbed quickly into the rounded booth, Cheryl and Toni each taking a seat beside her.

"This is _much_ better, good choice" she grinned, noticing how Evie seemed less anxious now she was away from the window.

"Im just going to let he server know we've moved and visit the ladies room" Cheryl told her with an affectionate hand squeeze before heading up to the counter.

"How is my favorite little cutie pie doing today?" Toni asked softly. "You're not usually this quiet.."

Evie shrugged, surprising Toni by climbing into her lap and hugging her tightly. Toni wrapped her arms around the small girl, rubbing her back softly.

Toni let one hand run through Evie's shiny hair which, she noted, was in significantly better condition since she had been under Cheryl's care.

"My tummy hurts.." she mumbled quietly, nuzzling her face into Toni's neck.

"It does? Can you show me where?" Toni pulled back a little to get a better look at Evie.

"All here.." she mumbled quietly, her hand moving over her stomach.

"Here?" she nudged Evie's hand away, rubbing it gently with her own.

"When did it start hurting? Does Cheryl know?"

"Nu-uh. It was only hurting after..after.."

"After?" Toni promoted when she didn't continue.

"After I seed him.."

"Who did you see?"

"One of mommy's special friends."

"Ohh, you did huh? Where did you see him?"

"Before we getted here. He was sat on the ground. He was the only one that used to come over a lot and go out with us. But I didn't like him.." she cried.

"You're okay...I've got you.." she whispered, placing a kiss on Evie's forehead. "Why didn't you like him?"

Evie shrugged, tensing in her arms.   
"I didn't want to play his game anymore.."

"Game?" Toni didn't want to jump to conclusions but she didn't like the sound of this.

"I'm not supposed to tell.." she mumbled, her small hand twirling a lock of Toni's pink hair around her fingers.

"Do you want to tell me?"

Evie nodded. "But I can't.." her anxious eyes started to water again as she dropped her gaze from Toni's.

"There's no-one else around right now.." Toni reminded her. "Nobody will know you've told me.."

"They won't?"

Toni shook her head. "Not one bit.."

"Okay.." Evie let out a small sigh, cuddling further into Toni as Toni held her safe in her arms. She could feel the way Evie tensed everytime she went to open her mouth, changing her mind about saying something each time.

"If I play the game right..I get a treat.." she started, her gaze fixed firmly in her lap.

"How...how do you play the game exactly? Who's in charge of it?"

"U..Uncle Sam.." she mumbled. "It's his game...so..if I play it wrong...I don't get my treat or I get in trouble."

"What treat do you get?" Toni wasn't sure if Evie had avoided her question about how the game was played or not.

"Depends.." she shrugged. "If I play his game super good then I get a better one.."

"Evie. How do you play uncle Sam's game?" Toni pushed a little.

Evie tensed again, her thumb finding its way back to her mouth. "It's like hide and go seek. Uncle Sam decides what I have to find. Then I have to sneak and get it and bring it back to him.."

Toni could feel anger bubbling inside of her. So this Uncle Sam whoever he was had Evie stealing for him. "What sort of things do you have to find?"

"Usually wallets and stuff.." she shrugged. "Sometimes phones or jewellery or whole purses. He tells me what he hided and I have to get it back. He always hides silly stuff."

"Is there anything else you want to tell me about this game?" Toni asked gently, not wanting to shut the conversation down if Evie was still wanting to talk about it.

"I'm not allowed to tell.." she whispered, fear sparkling in her eyes.

"Why is that honey?"

"Because Uncle Sam said so.."

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she nodded, clearly anxious about it.

"You don't need to worry about that anymore.." she rubbed her back softly. "You did a really good job telling me and I'm so proud of you" she kissed the top of Evie's head again. "We'll sort this out okay?"

Evie nodded, her thumb finding its way to her mouth again.

"You know what? I think your favorite pasta might make your tummy feel better."

"It will?"

"Mmhmm" Toni nodded confidently. "Just you wait and see.."

"Okay, I will" she smiled, wrapping her arms around Toni's neck again and kissing her cheek. "You're the best Toni."

"Thanks cutie."

....

The rest of their lunch passed relatively quickly, Cheryl pleased to see that Evie was much happier than she had been before.

Toni knew she needed to share the conversation with Cheryl and work out what they did next, but it needed to be when Evie wasn't around, Toni knowing that Cheryl would probably panic when she heard.

  
They headed back to Cheryl's after lunch, Evie falling asleep within 10 minutes of Moana starting. 

"Cher? There's something I need to talk to you about.."

_To be continued. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. ♥️
> 
> Come chat to me on twitter at theauthenticme2 😊


End file.
